Mobile gaming becoming more popular

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3 minute read
Alumni: Kieron Gurner

Alumni: Kieron Gurner

UX & Design Lead

Digital Insights

Mobile gaming is on the rise, with sales of games on Android and iOS fast becoming serious contenders to the handheld consoles already on the market. As device technology improves, and mobile technology becomes ever more ingrained in our lives, people might start wanting more interesting ways to interact with your organisation.

Android & Apple becoming major games

There’s a long-held trend that Android users spend less money on apps and on in-app purchases than iOS users do. But, there are new figures suggesting that Android games are out-selling games for Sony and Nintendo handheld consoles combined. In its last quarter, EA Games reported combined revenue of $21m from Sony and Nintendo handheld console games, but $113m on Android phones and tablet games, which is clearly a very significant margin.

Combine that data with the fact that Google Play has had a massive 67% growth spurt in just six months, earlier this year, and we can see that Android gaming is starting to pay-off for distributors.

As well as this, EA Games announced that Apple is now it’s largest retail partner in terms of sales, showing that it’s not just Android that’s benefiting from an increased interest in mobile gaming.

Midcore games audiences

One explanation behind this growing market is the emergence of the “mid-core” game. It was previously thought that mobile users had only “casual” interaction with games, whilst “hardcore” gamers used PCs and consoles – but tablets have started to change all that.

With the introduction of tablets came larger screens, supporting better graphics and a more satisfying touch-control experience. We’re also seeing that users are tending towards using tablets in the home, which gives people more reason to focus on their tablets for longer periods of time. These factors create a space for gamers to have quality graphic and story experiences, in a more lightweight setting.

Of course, the market has followed the demand, and new midcore games have filled the market, helping to increase the sales of games by filling a gap between the kinds of experience gamers wanted to have.

More games, more gamers

With an increased popularity for mobile games, and a wider variety of the kinds of games available, there are more opportunities for mobile users to become gamers. Not just this, but it also allows for users to be different kinds of gamers depending on their situation – non-gamers can easily discover casual gaming to kill some time, and casual gamers can occasionally dip into midcore experiences when they have a bit more time.

As a greater number of people become familiar with gaming on their mobile, so will their willingness to engage with more experiential campaigns – be they for marketing, information or education. By giving your audience a chance to access your content through play, you’ll be indulging their creative minds and providing a longer-lasting experience of your message, but only if you put the effort into designing your games well in the first place.

Even established heritage organisations are getting into gaming as a medium, like Historic Royal Palaces (The Tower of London), so why not start thinking about how mobile games and experiences could work for your business?

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